Fire-extinguisher



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W s es am- PIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

J. KANE.

2 Sheets--Sheet I Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 sneetsneet 2. J. KANE. HRB 'EXTINGfUIfSHl-:Rl

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Unirnn rares yPATENT Erice.

JOHN KANE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,906, dated January8, 1889.

Application tiled October 9, 1888. Serial No. 287,701. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KANE, a citizen of i the Unit-ed States, and aresident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Eire-Extinguishers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists of animprovement in that class oflire-extinguishers known as drypipe systems, in which the water or othereX- tinguishing-tl uid is normally prevented from entering thesprinklii'ig-pipes of the system, 1he controlling-valve being kept inthe closed position by devices under control of a piston or diaphragmacted on by a pressure of air in the sprinkler-pipes or in a secondarysystem ol' pipes, likewise provided with plugs or valves retained inposition by fusible solder, so that the lowering of pressure in theairpipe, duc tothe escape of air therefrom on the melting of one or moreot' the fusible retainers, will permit the release ct' the valve in thewater-pipe and the How ot' water into said pipe and through such of thesprinklers thereon as may have been released by the heat.

The object ol my invention is to provide simple and eiiicient meanswhereby the movement of the piston or diaphragm in the air system iscaused to control the act-ion of the valve in the water-pum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagram slunving sul'n'cientot a dry-pipesystem tire-extinguisher to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2is a similar view showing some ot' the parts in a dilt'erent position,and Fig. il is a detached perspective view of that part of the device towhich my invention particularly relates.

A represents the water-pipe, which may have both a supply branch, A',from the streetmain and a supply branch, A2, from an ele vated tank.This pipe is provided with a number of sprinklers, a, ot any desiredcharacter, kept closed by fusible retainers, a valve, b, beinginterposed in the pipe A between the supply branch and the lirstsprinkler ot the series, and this valve being normally closed, so as toprevent the passage ot' water beyond the same or its access to thesystem of sprinklerpipes. The stem ol' the valve is connected to alever, B, one arm of which is provided with a weight, d, while the otherarm is furnished with a bell-crank lever, D, lforked at the fnll crum,so as to present two short arms, which are notched at their upper endsfor the reception of pins or trunnions f, projecting from opposite sidesof a weight, F, of such a character that the preponderance of weight ison that arm of the lever B carrying the lever D, so that the valve Z) iskept closed to its seat.

The upper or supporting ends of the short arms of the lever D are, whenthe latter is in its normal position, as in Fig. l, slightly inside of avertical line passing through the fulcrum of the lever, so that thetendency of the weight Fis to maintain the lever D in this position. It,however, the inner end ot' the long arm of the lever D is lifted, so asto throw the upper ends of its short arms to the other or outer side ofsaid vertical line, the tendency of the weight will be to continue themovement until it is finally discharged from the short arms ofthele'ver, and the valve-lever B is thereby relieved of the weight F, sothat the weight d on the other arm `ot the lever acts to li tt the valveb and permit the flow of water into the pipe A and to the sprinklers. Adry-pipe system of this character is usually employed in connection witha supplementary air-pipe, G, which has distributed throughout its lengthvalves s with fusible retainers', this pipe communicating with anysuitable pump or other air-forcing device, and having in the presentinstance a branch, 7i, upon which is mounted a casing, I, containing aflexible diaphragm, y2', the stem of which is connected to a lever, K,hung to a suitable bearing on the casing. A cylinder and piston may, aswill be evident, be substituted for the casing and diaphragm, ifdesired.

One arm of the lever K is provided with a weight, m, and its other armis connected by means of a cord, chain, or other suitable dei vice, fn,to the long arm of the lever D, constituting the tilting weight carrierof the valve B.

The normal pressure oli' air in the pipe G i and within the casing I issutticient to raise the diaphragm i therein, so as to lift the weightedarm of the lever K and relieve the chain fn from tension; but upon themelting of the fusible retainer on any one of the Valves in the pipe Gthe air is permitted to escape from said pipe and from the casing I, andthe pressure beneath the diaphragm f1'. is thereby IOO i' inin Thu annivthe discharge

